The Man Who Sold The World

Artists

Album Info

Release Date: 1970-11-04

Label: Mercury

This release has stamped matrix numbers in the dead wax. All other versions with this cover are counterfeits (with etched matrix numbers) and should not be listed here.

"PR/P.R." in the runouts, and a 2.75" pressing ring denotes a Philips Recording Company, Inc. pressing.

This US release is the first release on LP of The Man Who Sold the World. It was only released in two countries - US and Japan (SFX-7345) - with this original cover. The building in the background is the Cane Hill Hospital where David Bowie's half-brother Terry was a patient.

The album was released in a further three countries on the Mercury label - Germany (David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World) in a large circular fold-out cover and the United Kingdom and Australia with a picture of David reclining in a dress. This latter cover is the one used on contemporary releases.

The US Mercury album was counterfeited (see David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World) in the early 1970s after Bowie became popular. It was possible for a potential buyer to choose between the official RCA reissue (in yet another cover, see David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World) and the widely distributed counterfeit.

The following visual indicators can be used to confirm an original US Mercury LP:
• The matrices in the runout (the space between the label and the grooves) are machine stamped (the counterfeits are hand etched).
• The space between the final lyric line of The Supermen and the cartoon bubble "Oh By Jingo" on the back cover is approximately the height of a line of text, while on the counterfeits the space is notably wider.

There are other differences, though these can be more easily seen and described in a side-by-side comparison.

SR 61325 on covers & spine, SR-61325 on labels.

Runouts are stamped except '1-11, 1-1, +, PR, P.R.' are etched.

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